6 Reasons to Buy an Electric Car This Year

6 Reasons to Buy an Electric Car This Year

We recently posted on the blog about the new tax rules coming into place for new cars registered after April. One of the obvious things is just how much difference it will make to your annual car tax bill if you were to buy an electric car instead of another fuel type. With countries around the world from Paris to Barcelona and Kathmandu banning older cars to reduce air pollution -cars and the environment are very much a hot topic at the moment.

So, if you are thinking of buying a new car this year, here are the top reasons why you should consider going electric:

1. You Can Get Up to £4500 Towards the Cost of a Car

Did you know the government offers a grant scheme to contribute up to 35% of the cost of a new electric car up to the maximum £2500 or £4500 depending on the make of car. The grant applies to new cars only and there is a list of eligible of cars and full details on the government’s website.

2.You Can Save Yourself as Much as £140 Per Year in Car Tax

As mentioned above, electric cars offer the cheapest option in terms of car tax costs. For a new car registered after April 2017, car tax will cost you £0 if your car is worth less than £40,000.

3. Huge Saving on Fuel Costs

No petrol or diesel, or oil costs. There are however, other costs to consider when buying an electric car. You will need to purchase a home charging station, but there are currently grants available from the government which can cover 75% of the costs of installing one. The average cost of charging an electric car at home according to Pod Point is about £3 per day for 150 miles, or 2p per mile. Which compares to a diesel car that does 50 miles per gallon which currently would cost about 11p per mile or £13.20 per 150 miles. Charging on the motorway is free at some service stations, or can cost £6 for 30 minutes on average at others. A lot cheaper than a tank of fossil fuel! !

4. Zero Emissions

Traditional diesel and unleaded cars emit carbon dioxide and toxins into the air. These emissions have an impact on both the environment and people’s health, particularly those with breathing difficulties. They are also thought to be behind the cause of the greenhouse effect and global warming. Electric cars do not emit any emissions at all and are much healthier alternative for the environment and people’s health in general.

5. Cheaper to Maintain

No oil means no oil changes. Same for fan belts, spark plugs, air, no clutch and braking impact is also reduced. This is because electric cars use regenerative brakes. These brakes reuse energy when you press the brake pedal. Which means instead of all of the energy being passed through your brake pads, it converts some of it back into your car’s battery in the form of energy. Check out Tesla’s explanation on how this works right here.

6. Cool Factor

Electric cars are definitely in vogue at the moment. With many celebrities opting to drive electric cars rather than traditional fuel alternatives. Katy Perry, Demi Moore, Brad Pitt and Ben Affleck are reported to drive a Tesla. Reese Witherspoon went for a Porsche Cayenne hybrid and George Clooney the remarkable Tango T600*. Owning an electric car has never been cooler.

Are you thinking of buying an electric car this year? To help with your decision, here’s Auto Express’s top electric cars of 2017. Of course we’re happy to arrange a test drive for you, as well as all the impartial advice you need to help you to choose the car that’s right for you.